During the steelmaking process, after the steel is melted and refining has begun, a tap hole is opened and the molten steel from the furnace is poured into ladles through the tap hole in the furnace (e.g., a bottom-tap hole, a tap door, etc.). After the molten steel is emptied out of the furnace, the furnace is prepped for another steelmaking heat (e.g., charging the bucket and melting the steel). In order to prepare the furnace for the subsequent steelmaking heat, sand is poured into the tap hole of the furnace from above. The sand in the tap hole prevents molten steel from exiting the furnace during melting and refining in the subsequent steelmaking heat.